Thank you for that info, Liam's Bro.

I followed the link, and was surprised to learn that they had Irish sessions at the Nesbitt Inn, which is about three blocks from where I live. I always thought that it was an English pub, and that the Irish, Scots and Cape Bretoners went to O'Ryans and The Sandwich Mill. I must go and give it a listen.

There is also going to be a "celtic" festival in Windsor this year, the second annual. (It's called celtic to keep the Welsh and the Manx happy, but almost all the music and dancing is Scottish or Irish or Canadian regional variations thereof.)

Last year's was pretty good, with more Guinness sold the first night than they expected to sell all weekend. (There was a refridgerated truck, full of kegs of the good stuff, a glorious sight.) The music ranged from traditional, like Cape Breton fiddlers and pipers, Irish groups, etc, to electric celtic at night for the twenty-somethings. This year they plan to have a bigger stage and sound system and will have it in a park that isn't built yet, across from the Casino. And God be praised, Port-A-Johns this year! Last year desperate souls were lining up to get into a tiny bathroom in the park pavillion. Last year's festival was held the last weekend of July, but I don't know what the plans are for this year.

When are you going to be in Detroit? There is a huge fireworks display around Independence Day/Canada Day where they block off the Detroit River and set them off from three barges. It is better, and safer, to watch it from the Canadian side because most of the waterfront in the viewing area is parkland.

The Irish place in Detroit is The Gaelic League, on Michigan Avenue IIRC near Tiger Stadium. It is a little too political for my peaceful tastes, but the Wolftones played there.

I didn't know Irish people needed visas to come to Canada. I don't think people from the UK do unless they intend to work. I suppose I am just used to flashing my birth certificate to cross the border. It can't be too hard to get into Canada anyway. When the World Cup was in Detroit the Swiss were driving over on motorcycles they had somehow brought with them from Switzerland.

Just tell the person at the border that you are going to see "The Windsor Ballet.":)